Device for marking shoe-boxes.



G. V. WELLS.

DEVICE FOR MARKING SHOE BQX'ES. APPLICATION FILED 001.28. m3.

1.134389, PatentedApr. 6, 1915.

2 SHBET8-SHBET 1.

IHE marems PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D.

rnTTTn sTATns PATENT orrron GUSTAVUS v. WELLS, or nns Mourns, IOWA, assrenon or ONE-HALF T0 w. s.- PUTMAN, or DES MOINES, Iowa.

DEVICE FOR MARKING SHOE-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1 915.

Application filed October 28, 1913. Serial No. 797,731.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUsrAvUs 'V. vVnLLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Marking Shoe-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it, appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in marking devices for shoe boxes or cartons.

It is a common practice in the shoe trade for the contents of boxes orcartons to be indicated on the exterior of the latter by writing thereon a description of such contents. Not only is much time consumed in following this practice, but the boxes are disfigured by the markings, and, furthermore, it is difficult for the markings to be read when the boxes are remotely located from the salesman, as when they occupy space at the top of shelving. Moreover, this practice of marking the boxes presents no uniformity.

The present invention, therefore, aims to provide a marking device which is applicable to shoe boxes for denoting the contents thereof, and including in its make-up suitable indicia arranged and combined in a manner to enable the clerk or salesman to determine at a glance the style of shoe contained in the box, its size, width or last, and also its color. 7

A further object of the invention is the provision of a marking device of the character stated, the construction of which is such that when applied to a box or carton it will present a neat appearance and not disfigure the box; one which is readable at a distance, thereby overcoming the necessity for handling the individual boxes or cartons to determine the inscriptions thereon, and one which will present, when the grouped boxes are equipped with the invention, uniformity of appearance throughout the tiers.

The invention further has in view a novel form of marker the construction of which is such as to permit it to be adapted to the particular contents of a box by fashioning its form to properly indicate the contents of that box.

Other objectsand advantages Wlll appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the aocom panying drawings, and finally pointed out in the claim, the form of the invention disclosed being regarded, at this time, as a pre ferred embodiment thereof, but inasmuch as the same is susceptible to change, modification, or variation, the invention is considered as comprehending all such changes, modifications or variations as may fall within its spirit and scope as defined by the ap: pended claim.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is an end elevation of a shoe box or carton having one of the hereindescribed marking devices applied thereto and illustrating its manner of use. Fig. 2 is a plan view of onelof the complete devices on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the sheets. illustrating the manner of grouping the markers in series in their original formation, portions of the indicating symbols only being shown.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates a sheet of suitable dimension, both as to length and width, as will permit the inclusion thereon of a plurality of series of the hereindescribed markers. These series extend verti cally of the sheet, and the markers of each vertical series bear the same indicia, and thus apply to one particular size and width of shoe. Reading from left to right of the sheet, it will be observed that each succeeding column of markers designates a separate size and last of shoe. While any particular indicating symbols may be employed for this purpose, such as is commonly found in the shoe trade, the numeral .38' has been arbitrarily selected to designate a number 6%, shoe, the dash signifying the half sizes. With particular reference to the first column or series, it will be observed that the ciphers O00 designate the width or last commonly known as AAA; the O0 designate the last commonly known as the AA, while the 0 of the third column designates the A last, and the numeral to the right of each of the indicating symbols 38- of each successive vertical series corresponds to the B C i D-.; E

and EE lasts. More detailed explanation of the specific meaning of the various symbols will be later given.

The sheet 1 is preferably made of such material as will permit ready separation of the individual markers, such as paper, and the rear face thereof is also preferably gummed, so that by the application of mois ture each individual marker may be readily applied to the shoe box or carton. To the end that the individual markers may be readily separated, the sheet 1 may be perforated in vertical lines, as designated by the numeral 2, and likewise in horizontal lines, as designated by the numeral 8, so that the individual markers of such vertical series may be separated from the other markers of that series.

It will be further obvious that if a single sheet is insuflicient to include all the various sizes of shoes which are generally manufactured, together with the various widths or lasts of each size, the appropriate sheets may be provided for the inclusion of the entire series of sizes.

As before premised, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a marker which includes in its make-up suitable indicia so arranged and combined as to denote not only the size of the shoe, but its particular style; its width or last, and also its color. T 0 the accomplishment of this end, and referring particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that the marker, designated by the numeral 4, includes the size-indicating symbol 5, which previously has been referred to as the arbitrarily-selected numeral 38, and also the width or lastindicating symbol 6, which indicates the C last. In addition to these symbols 5 and 6, the left-hand end of the marker is provided with a symbol 7, in the form of two dots, and intersecting the symbol 7 is a line of severance or cut 8, which may be a perforation, so that the marker may be severed through the symbol 7. Intermediate the symbol 7 and the symbol 5 is a further line of severance or out 9, which may also be a line of perforation, and said line 9 permits the entire left-hand end of the marker to be removed from the remainder thereof, for a purpose to be presently explained. To the right of the lastindicating symbol 6 are four color-indicating symbols 10, 11, 12 and 13, respectively, the symbol 1O designating the color of black, for which purpose the letter B is arbitrarily selected; the symbol 11 denotes the color of white, for which purpose the letter W is arbitrarily selected; the symbol 12 designates tan color, and for this the letter T is arbitrarily selected, and the symbol 13 denotes other colors. For the latter the letter O is arbitrarily selected. Between the symbols 10, 11, 12 and 13 are lines of cut or severance 1 1, 15 and 16, which may be in the form of perforations, so that the marker 1} may be divided along these lines to accord with the contents of the package which it is desiredto correctly designate.

At this point it will be observed that the function of the symbol 7, and the portion to the left of the line of severance 9, is to denote the style of shoe, that is to say, whether the shoe is of the button, lace or Blucher type. If it is desired to indicate a button shoe, the left-hand end of the marker is permitted to remain intact, and the symbol 7, therefore, appears as in Fig. 2. If the marker is to denote a lace shoe, the same is divided along the line 9, thus removing entirely the left-hand extremity of the marker, and if a Blucher shoe is to be denoted, the marker is severed along the line 8, thereby leaving a portion of the symbol 7 on the body of the marker, but permitting removal of the extreme left end of the latter. According to whether the color is black, White or tan, the marker is severed along the lines 14, 15 or 16, leaving on the body of the marker the symbol 10, 11 or 12, as the case may be, and if the marker is to denote other colors than those just referred to, the entire right end of the marker is preserved intact.

Assuming that it is desired to mark a box containing a pair of tan shoes, the size of which is 6-,}, having a C last, and being of the Blucher type, the appropriate marker denoting the 6% sizes, and the C last, is selected. In accordance with the aboverecited arbitrary selection, a marker bearing the designating symbols 38-2 is obtained. This marker is then severed on the line 16, leaving the color-designating symbol 12, which is the letter T, at the right-hand end of the marker. The left-hand end of the marker is then severed on the line 8, thus removing the left extremity of the marker, but permitting a portion of the symbol 7 to remain at the left end of the marker. The back of the marker is moistened and applied to the end of the shoe box or carton, and by reason of the changed form of the marker, it is at once obvious, at a glance, to the clerk or salesman that the contents of this particular box is a pair of tan shoes of the Blucher type, the size of which is 6%, with a C last.

It will also be noted at this point that the positioning of the markers at different points on the front of the box or carton may also be caused to indicate Whether or not the shoes contained in the box are high shoes,

Oxfords, or very low shoes. For instance, if

the marker is placed high on the box, or at a point adjacent its top, the salesman will know immediately that the box contains a high shoe. If the marker be placed near the middle of the box, or at a point midway the Oxford. Should, however, the marker be placed near the lower edge of the box, this position shows at once that the shoe contained in the box is a very low one, such as a pump.

To facilitate the reading of the indicia on the marker, it is preferred that the various symbols shall be of a contrasting color to the body of the marker. For this purpose, the body may be wholly black, and the symbols white, as illustrated, but any other combination of colors, whereby the contrast between the symbols and the body may be obtained, may be used.

As a substitute for the specific symbol 7 which is illustrated, the left-hand end of the marker may be suitably lettered to indicate the Blucher, button and lace styles, and when so marked the left-hand end may be severed between such markings to denote properly the style of the shoes within the box. Should the dash be omitted from the size-indicating symbol 5, it is obvious that such symbol will then denote the whole number sizes of shoes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

A device for marking shoe boxes, comprising a body of suitable material forming a marker and having a field and bearing arbitrary indicia denoting the size andwidth 0f the shoes contained within the box to which the marker is applied, arbitrary symbols also carried by said body for denoting the color of the contents, said color indicating symbols being detachably carried by the marker to permit their individual or collective separation therefrom, and an indicator also carried by the marker and separable from thebody of the latter to'denote the'style of the box contents.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVUS V. WELLS.

Witnesses:

F. H. MACKAMAN, ALMA GABRIEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofi latents,

Washington, D. O. 

